Cairo university

Faculty of Engineering
Petroleum Department

WELL STIMULATION

Submitted to: Prof/ Mahmoud Abo Al-Ela

Submitted by:

Mahmoud Mohamed Hassan ………………….(14)

Mahmoud Refaat Hassan………….……………..(13)
Mahmoud Gaber Ghazi………………………….…(12)
Zahraa Salah …………………………………………….. (4)
MARCH 7, 2019
Table of Contents

1.introduction ........................................................................................................1
2.Major methods of well stimulation ....................................................................1
2.1 Dissolving through acid injection ..............................................................2
2.2 Manual stimulation through explosives ....................................................3
2.3 Stimulation through hydraulic fracturing ..................................................4

3. Conclusion .....................................................................................................5
4. References .......................................................................................................5

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 Well Stimulation
1. Introduction:

 Well Stimulation is defined as:

• Several operations used to increase the production of the well.
• A treatment performed to restore or enhance the productivity of a well.
• Procedures to increase permeability of the formation.

2. The three major methods of well stimulation :

Well stimulation is generally accomplished through three major methods:
a) acid injection,
b) explosives,
c) hydraulic fracturing.

Most modern well stimulation is done through hydraulic fracturing, as the

technique has proven to be more efficient, effective, and safe than older
methods. However, other methods may be used in distinct situations.

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 a) Dissolving through acid injection:

Acid is injected into the well penetrating the rock pores at pressures below
fracture pressure.
Acidizing is used to either stimulate a well to improve flow or to remove damage.
During matrix acidizing the acids dissolve the sediments and mud solids within
the pores that are inhibiting the permeability of the rock.
This process enlarges the natural pores of the reservoir which stimulates the flow
of hydrocarbons.

Effective acidizing is guided by practical limits in

volumes and types of acid and procedures so as
to achieve an optimum removal of the formation
damage around the wellbore.

Acid gas injection involves the pumping of acid gas (generally CO2 and H2s) into
the well to dissolve minerals and composites. In general, acid injection is done to
get rid of excess H2s, but H2s is generally mixed with CO2 in use. Acid gas
injection is done in an extremely controlled environment to avoid gas leaks and
other related issues. By avoiding manual stimulation such as explosive techniques,
the environment experiences less disruption.
The major risk of acid injection is that acids may infiltrate the surrounding area,
which represent a more significant risk to environmental conditions than other
methods such as hydraulic fracturing.

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 b) Manual Stimulation through Explosives:

Explosive techniques, also known as well shooting, use controlled chemical

explosions to stimulate wells.
Essentially, they are a more aggressive method of chemical injection and
infiltration. Though explosive techniques are some of the oldest used in well
stimulation, studies have shown that they are not as useful as other well
stimulation techniques.
Chemical explosions are not as precise as either acid
injection or hydraulic fracturing and have a tendency
to create more localized damage. There are other
methods of explosive technique that have not yet
been explored, such as the ignition of explosive slurry,
and explosive techniques are still commonly used
because they are comparatively simple. The process
can be repeated to increase its efficiency but it may
increase in risk each time.

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 c) Stimulation through Hydraulic Fracturing:

Hydraulic fracturing is the process of pumping fluid into a wellbore at an injection

rate that is too high for the formation to accept without breaking. During injection
the resistance to flow in the formation increases, the pressure in the wellbore
increases to a value called the break-down pressure, that is the sum of the in-situ
compressive stress and the strength of the formation. Once the formation “breaks
down,” a fracture is formed, and the injected fluid flows through it.

Fluid not containing any solid (called the “pad”) is injected first, until the fracture
is wide enough to accept a propping agent. The purpose of the propping agent is
to keep apart the fracture surfaces once the pumping operation ceases, the
pressure in the fracture decreases below the compressive in-situ stress trying to
close the fracture. In deep reservoirs, man-made ceramic beads are used to hold
open or “prop” the fracture. In shallow reservoirs, sand is normally used as the
propping agent.

In recent years, Hydraulic

fracturing has been criticized
regarding potential groundwater
infiltration and small scale,
localized tremors. However,
groundwater infiltration is
uncommon and some analysts
believe that the tremors produced
through fracking may actually
stave off larger scale earthquakes.
It’s estimated that Hydraulic fracturing can be able to increase the production of a
well by up to 30 times the original flow rate and re-fracturing techniques have
now been used to produce oil from previously retired well sites.

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Conclusion:
All methods of well-injection technique have been highly regulated by the
government and are relatively free of substantial risk. However, hydraulic
fracturing has become more popular because of its effectiveness and ease of use.
Any of these methods of well injection can be used, though explosive stimulation
techniques are generally the least precise and the least efficient of the
three options

References

[1] https://www.slideshare.net/rebaztacit/well-stimulation-petroleum-engineering

[2] Society of Petroleum Engineers, "http://petrowiki.org,"

[3] tigergeneral.com